September 2015

At the resting place of Tom Dooley's lamented victim, Laura Foster, musicians and music lovers gather each Labor Day weekend to pay homage to the legends and stories of the Yadkin River Valley. The festival includes a community dance, a daylong competition for old time and bluegrass bands, and Sunday band performances, plus children's activities, historic information, storytelling, hay rides, a duck derby race, food vendors and more.

The Labor Day weekend festival is sponsored by The Friends of John Coltrane, which works to preserve and celebrate the life and music of John Coltrane and to enrich the lives of others through the introduction of jazz and other musical genres. It is in its 5th year in 2015.

The gospel festival is presented by the Catawba Valley Music Revival, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and promoting live music and arts in Catawba County and surrounding areas of North and South Carolina. In addition to music, festivities include corn hole and ladder ball games for kids, and home-cooked food concessions. The same group puts on a bluegrass festival later in September.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup included Michael Combs, Leon Everette and the Faith Riders, The Pioneers and six more.

The intimate festival of progressive rock music features artists from all over the world. The festival, which is in its 21st year in 2015, embraces a Friday night pre-show at Local 506 in Chapel Hill. Click on the photo for more information.

Artists

TBA. 2014 lineup included Alex Carpani Band with David Jackson, Backhand, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra and eight more.

Hopscotch, put on by The Independent Weekly of Durham, presents more than 175 national and international bands from rock, hip-hop, alt-country, heavy metal, dance, punk, classical, noise, drone, folk and more at 15 downtown venues. The festival also presents bands at more than 30 day parties happening throughout the city.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup included Spoon, St. Vincent, Mastodon, De La Soul, The War on Drugs, Sun Kil Moon, and dozens more.

Catawba Valley Music Revival Inc. works to preserve and promote live music in the Unifour and surrounding areas of North and South Carolina by making sure it can be heard, appreciated and celebrated in a family-friendly environment.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup included The Roys, The Hurleys, The Harris Brothers and six more.

The Bull Durham festival has changed repeatedly over its 25-plus years, but in 2014 returned to its usual format of presenting blues and R&B acts in an auditorium show Friday night followed by an outdoor festival at the historic baseball park on Saturday. Food and craft vendors also join the outdoor show.

The National Folk Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in the nation, is put on by the National Council for the Traditional Arts. It presents about 30 acts for free on six to seven stages ranging in size from large, open-air venues to small, intimate acoustic-style stages. There will also be dance performances, children's activities, a North Carolina folklife area, a festival marketplace, and regional and ethnic foods. The festival moves to a new location every three years and has chosen to be in Greensboro from 2015 to 2017. It celebrates its 75th year in 2015.

The nonprofit North Carolina Bluegrass Association presented the inaugural In the Pines Bluegrass Festival in 2014. In addition to music, it presents arts and crafts vendors, raffles and more in an alcohol-free, family-friendly environment.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup included Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa, Nu-Blu, Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion and three more.

The Stokes Stomp Festival on the Dan presents a couple of well-known headliners and local acts, plus a children's music stage, along with dance, a parade, arts and crafts and other activities in a park on the Dan River. The festival, which is put on by the Stokes County Arts Council, is in its 41st year in 2015.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup included Lonesome River Band; John Cowan, John McFee and Friends; Blues Creek and about 10 more.

Parking at Moratock Park: $10 (limited number)
Shuttle service from Stokes County Government Center (1014 Main Street) and Hilltop Market Tubing parking area (1039 NC 8 and 89 South) near the intersection of Sheppard Mill Road. Here's more parking info.

The festival hosted by the Great Smokies Craft Brewers Association presents beer from about 50 local brewers and several bluegrass bands as a benefit for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Western North Carolina.

Artists
TBA. 2014 lineup was Smoke from the Kitchen, Blue Highway, Lost River Cavemen, Fox Fire.

"This is an event for adults," the website says. "But if you have to bring the kids, they are welcomed for the price of a designated driver ticket. Kids under 7 get in free." Anyone younger than 18 must be with a parent.

The festival debuted in 2012 and has established itself as a major fall event on the Outer Banks featuring top bluegrass acts, a band competition, late-night street dance and more. The producers of this festival also presents a 4th of July bluegrass festival in Louisburg.

The festival debuts in 2015 with a lineup of Americana, Celtic, bluegrass and old time country music artists to put a focus on the common musical thread that runs through the roots of each of those genres. The festival will also present various world food vendors and an arts and crafts marketplace.

2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday times vary at stage and venues but outdoor stages generally start at 1 or 3 p.m. and run to 7 p.m.; indoor venues, especially bars/nightclubs go into the evening. The festival's website has alphabetical, chronological and stage schedules.

A shuttle bus runs from remote parking to downtown between 1 and 6 p.m.

The International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass annual convention, awards show and fan festival relocated from Nashville to Raleigh for 2013 through 2018. It presents newgrass, jamgrass, traditional bluegrass, old-time and more by more than 150 acts in Wide Open Bluegrass at the downtown amphitheater, the Bluegrass Ramble showcase performances at downtown clubs and the Convention Center, and a free street festival put on by the City of Raleigh. The convention also includes a business conference, music expo, a bluegrass-oriented film festival added in 2014, workshops, fan / celebrity meet-and-greets and more.
The IBMA Awards show, which is also a part of the weekend, requires separate tickets (see below). Click on the photo for more information.

Bluegrass Wide Open tickets include admission to expo as well as amphitheater and convention center stages. Bluegrass Ramble tickets are separate but are included with business conference registration.

Camping: N.C. State Fairgrounds (about 5 miles away with a shuttle available) $25 per night for tents, campers or RVs with full hookups (50 sites available). RV camping with no hookups adjacent to convention center $30 per night (30 sites).